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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. suit — to fit
  3. object — to protest
  4. rule — government
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. mug — to rob
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mug — a face
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rule — a law
  13. row — a line
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wind — moving air
  16. row — to paddle
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. object — an aim
  19. mug — a cup
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. object — a thing
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com